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The Oath of the Prophet Mohammed to the Followers of the Nazareneby Muhammad and Ali ibn 'Abu-Talibtranslated by Anton HaddadNew York: Board of Counsel, 1902 1. Text[page 1]
[page 2] As an evidence of the injustice and intolerance which has characterized the attitude of Christians toward the great prophet Mohammed, and to prove how unfortunate is their error in attributing hatred and cruelty to him in his dealings with the followers of the Nazarene, I wish, for the sake of truth and Christian enlightenment, to quote Mohammed's words, his valid oath and covenant, concerning them. This oath, entrusted by Mohammed to his Caliphs, is an expression of his authoritative command to them as to their attitude toward the followers of Christ throughout the whole world. The oath referred to was issued by the prophet Mohammed to the Christian Monks of Saint Catherine at Mount Sinai. A copy of it was translated into Turkish, while the original is still preserved in the treasury of the
[page 3] Sultan in Constantinople. This same Turkish copy was translated into Arabic by Naufal Effendi Naufal, a Christian of Tripoli, Syria; which translation is recorded in a book written by him and known as Sunnajat-ut-tarab. The oath is as follows:
"This is a letter which was issued by Mohammed, Ibn Abdullah, the Messenger, the Prophet, the faithful, who is sent to all the people as a trust on the part of God to all His creatures, that they may have no plea against God hereafter. --Verily God is the Mighty, the Wise. This letter is directed to the embracers of Islam, as a Covenant given to the followers of Nazarene in the East and West, the far and the near, the Arabs and foreigners, the known and the unknown. [page 4]
"Whenever monks, devotees and pilgrims gather together, whether in mountain or valley, or den, or frequented place, or plain, or church, or in houses of worship, Verily we are back of them and shall protect them, and their properties and their morals, by Myself, by My friends and by My assistants, for they are of My subjects and under Mt protection. [page 5]
"Poll-taxes should not be put upon their judges, monks, and those whose occupation is the worship of God; nor is any other thing to be taken from them, whether it be a fine, a tax or any unjust right. Verily I shall keep their compact, wherever they may be, in the sea or on the land, in the East or West, in the North or South, for they are under My protection and the testament of My safety, against all things which they abhor. [page 6]
"They shall not be imposed upon by any one to undertake a journey, or to be forced to go to wars or to carry arms; for the Islams have to fight for them. Do not dispute or argue with them, but deal according to the verse in the Koran, to wit: 'Do not dispute or argue with the people of the Book but in that which is best.' Thus they will live favored and protected from everything which may offend them by the Callers to religion (Islam), wherever they may be and in any place they may dwell.This is the oath which Mohd. Ibn Abdullah gave to the Christian nation, the fulfill-
[page 7] ment and promulgation of which has been agreed upon by all the witnesses who have hitherto attached their names. It was signed by the great Assistants of Mohammed, as follows:
Abvou Bekr Ibu Kahafat Omar Ibn El-Khattah Ottman Ibn Affan Aboul Darda Abou Harirat Abdullah Ibn Masood Abbas Ibn Abdoul Mottaleb El-Fadhl Ibn Abbas Ezzobier Ibn El-Awam Talhat Ibn Abdullah Said Ibn Maath Said Ibn Abada Thabit Ibn Nafess Zied Ibn Thabit Abou Hanifa Ibn Attaba Hashim Ibn Obied Maazam Ibn Kariesh El-Harith Ibn Thabit Abdoul Azim Ibn Haasan Abdullah Ibn Omar Ibn El-Aas Aamir Ibn Yasir
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